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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · rule · game · hand · bay · deal · cap · degree

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. degree — from a university
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — to handle
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. rule — a law
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com